Thanks for the links Lola. I've actually never noticed any ill-effects from corn. I feel very lucky reading the sufferings of so many others. Having said that, corn is an avoid for me and I very rarely knowingly consume it.

Xanthan gum is made by allowing a bacteria to feed off corn sugars to convert them into simple sugars and produce a goo, in much the same way that Nutritional Yeast is a yeast that feeds off sugar cane. I wonder how much of the corn is left in the xanthan gum, or how much of the sugar cane (a bigger problem for me than corn) is left in the nutritional yeast?

Putting aside the allergy factor for the moment, could there be enough left to cause a lectin problem?

Posted by: Lola, Saturday, October 10, 2009, 6:21pm; Reply: 3

that will be entirely up to your system! ;)

you might be one of those lucky nonnies!

Posted by: Squirrel, Sunday, October 11, 2009, 1:40am; Reply: 4

I'm not sure trusting to luck is quite the right approach! ;D

Well it's on the SWAMI-X wish list, and there have been a gazillion questions about it, so let's hope Dr D finds it in his heart and his time schedule to choose it for testing! (pray)

Posted by: Dianne, Saturday, January 21, 2012, 4:16pm; Reply: 5

I've been searching for this thread since I realized this week that xanthan gum is not listed in SWAMI yet guar gum, locust bean gum and mastic gum are.

I wonder if it is like when veggies are cultured, the sugar in the vegetables work with the culture or when we make kombucha and the sugar is not longer present after some time.

Some sites do say that there is no corn left. ??) But is the corn they use GMO free?!

On ehow.com if you google 'how to make xanthan gum' it is made with yeast and corn syrup and vodka and alcohol. One could use rice syrup, malt if compliant and grain free alcohol. I get rice syrup and malt as beneficial. But...at some point for a few days you have to shake this up every 30 minutes. :D

Posted by: Spring, Saturday, January 21, 2012, 7:25pm; Reply: 6

Maybe the part of stress that makes us fat is the part that we allow to "eat" us alive - the good parts, that is. The part that we need to be looking after the body's needs instead of the stress. Good stress cranks up my metabolism and energy, and I will drop the pounds very quickly. This probably doesn't make any sense, but it is what I have found to be true. I don't think I've ever lost any weight in my life when something was "eating" on me! This "eating" is more corrosion than consumption.

Posted by: Dianne, Saturday, January 21, 2012, 7:53pm; Reply: 7

Spring - I think you meant to post this in the thread about stress. :)

Xanthan gum is made by allowing a bacteria to feed off corn sugars to convert them into simple sugars and produce a goo, in much the same way that Nutritional Yeast is a yeast that feeds off sugar cane. I wonder how much of the corn is left in the xanthan gum, or how much of the sugar cane (a bigger problem for me than corn) is left in the nutritional yeast? Putting aside the allergy factor for the moment, could there be enough left to cause a lectin problem?

Strangely enough, when I used to make six loaves of bread every week when my sons were in college, and I used xantham gum in every loaf, I never once noticed the pain in my stomach that I always have if I get corn from whatever source. For my part, I don't think you have anything to worry about. It is not listed anywhere in my diet either. But I don't blame you for wanting to be sure because the stuff is certainly expensive!

Posted by: C_Sharp, Sunday, January 22, 2012, 1:13am; Reply: 10

The bacteria Xanthomonas campestris that is used to make xanthan gum can be raised on a variety of starch sources. Including both wheat and corn.

Your Xanthan gum may not have been from corn. Or it may have been GMO free corn or it may have been cleaned in such away to remove the part of the corn you have problems with or you may have not had problems with corn back then.

I do not know how long ago your children were in college, but I think if it was a significant time ago the bacteria was likely was grown on wheat starch instead of corn. Food manufacturers did not used to use as much corn as today.

Posted by: Possum, Sunday, January 22, 2012, 3:12am; Reply: 11

Sqirrel there is another type of gum - guar gum... that apparently does the same job but is from a different source & significantly cheaper...Or else you can use chai seeds (soaked)

Xanthan gum is usually made from grains and other plants because they contain glucose an sucrose, two sugars that X. campestris can naturally ferment. A special strain of the X. campestris bacteria was developed that can ferment lactose, a major component of whey. Whey, a byproduct of the cheese process, is now used as an inexpensive source of carbohydrate for xanthan gum production.

In light of this (same information found on Wikipedia), I'd expect whey to be the most common substrate for xanthan gum production at this point. I'd eaten bread made with xanthan gum and it didn't seem to give me any trouble.

Posted by: Dianne, Sunday, January 22, 2012, 3:12pm; Reply: 13

I have sent an e-mail to Bob's red mill regarding their source for making xanthan gum.Did you check out the ehow.com on how to make xanthan gum. You'd need to make a little device can shake the bottle every 30 minutes after the first day for about 5 days. ;D I have a friend whose an electrician and he's retired. If I can't find what I want he may be up for the challenge! ;D

Posted by: TJ, Sunday, January 22, 2012, 6:41pm; Reply: 14

I'm not interested in making my own, but I'd like to hear how Bob's Red Mill makes theirs.

The bacteria Xanthomonas campestris that is used to make xanthan gum can be raised on a variety of starch sources. Including both wheat and corn.

Your Xanthan gum may not have been from corn. Or it may have been GMO free corn or it may have been cleaned in such away to remove the part of the corn you have problems with or you may have not had problems with corn back then.

I do not know how long ago your children were in college, but I think if it was a significant time ago the bacteria was likely was grown on wheat starch instead of corn. Food manufacturers did not used to use as much corn as today.

Since my stomach had been hurting nearly all my life until I met THE DIETS, I certainly couldn't say that corn was or wasn't used! :)

Posted by: Dianne, Sunday, January 22, 2012, 10:24pm; Reply: 16

TJ - As soon as I get an answer from Bob's red mill I will post it here.

In the meantime, I've ordered a small amount of the tragacanth gum & I will make some baguette with it next weekend.

Posted by: Dianne, Sunday, January 22, 2012, 10:38pm; Reply: 17

TJ - I didn't think you'd want to make the xanthan gum. Just interesting info, although the Explorer in me that likes a challenge and being self-sufficient is somewhat up for the challenge. My husband was pleased I got the tragacanth gum because he thinks I do enough without adding that in to mix. ;D

GF FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #3: The Flour Stretch Is CriticalBaking with gluten-free flours requires additional tender loving care to make it work. Without gluten, you do not have the key factor of pliability that helps you work the dough and keep the bread together after it is baked. So, you must add extendibility to your dough with xanthan gum, the most widely used “protein” replacement. Guar gum is an alternative to xanthan gum. But, once again, the mystery ensues when you ponder how much xanthan gum to add to your GF Flour Mix. Thankfully, Bette Hagman has already cracked the “stretch factor” case and recommends a specific formula for adding xanthan gum to your GF Flour Mix. According to Hagman: add

¾ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for breads;½ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for cakes; and¼ to ½ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for cookies.

Because GF flours lack the stretchy protein known as gluten, in addition to xanthan gum you will need to add more leavening or protein to your recipe such as egg whites, gelatin, or dry milk powder. (Source: The Gluten-Free Gourmet Revised Edition by Bette Hagman, page 39).

Posted by: Possum, Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 4:20am; Reply: 19

Good info - wonder if you can sub ground chia seeds?¾ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for breads;½ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for cakes; and¼ to ½ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for cookies.

And it doesn't specify what sort of flour?

Posted by: TJ, Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 6:15pm; Reply: 20

The page also talks about flours, just not the part I quoted.

I baked a loaf of rice bread last night with the xanthan gum. It held together very well, but holy cow was it dense, and doughy in the middle. Perhaps it needed to rise longer and be baked longer at a lower temperature?

I have sent an e-mail to Bob's red mill regarding their source for making xanthan gum.;D

Very interesting answer! In my e-mail to them, I commented on how the research shows that it is usually made with corn and yeast and that there is no corn protein left once the yeast is done with it. Now when I wrote this, it was not that I believed there was no by-product left from the corn.

Their answer to me was that it is grown on, OMG - WHEAT - and that as I stated in my e-mail that no wheat protein is left after the yeast are done. ::)

The moral of the story for me is stay away from the xanthan gum! I'm looking forward to trying out the tragacanth gum in the future. :)

My understanding is that all of their products are made in a gluten-free environment.

Posted by: TJ, Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 6:32pm; Reply: 22

I don't understand how it can be gluten-free if grown on wheat. Crazy! They must have some extremely thorough process for separating the proteins from the rest of it.

I don't understand how it can be gluten-free if grown on wheat. Crazy! They must have some extremely thorough process for separating the proteins from the rest of it.

Perhaps, there are several factors for me to consider, but my insides are not so happy since I ate the baguette that I made with xanthan gum...now mind you there were other things happenings that could have contributed to it all...but I won't be eating xanthan gum again just to be safe. Once I have an episode, it takes one month for me to get to feeling better and so I will experiment with the tragacanth and then take a break from experimenting. Let's keep our fingers crossed; I'm placing a lot of hope in that tragacanth gum! :)

The page also talks about flours, just not the part I quoted.I baked a loaf of rice bread last night with the xanthan gum. It held together very well, but holy cow was it dense, and doughy in the middle. Perhaps it needed to rise longer and be baked longer at a lower temperature?

Back when my sister and I were trying out different flours etc. every day, trying to make compliant bread - one of us trying one thing and the other trying another, we came up with some really strange breads! :D Tasty enough, but, boy, the texture!! Some of them I'm sure you could have used to knock a mule down! I'm sitting here laughing just thinking about it! One thing I learned, a tad of ginger really adds to the flavor. Makes all the difference. I bet your bread made good toast, right?(smile)

Perhaps, there are several factors for me to consider, but my insides are not so happy since I ate the baguette that I made with xanthan gum...now mind you there were other things happenings that could have contributed to it all...but I won't be eating xanthan gum again just to be safe. and so I will experiment with the tragacanth and then take a break from experimenting. Let's keep our fingers crossed; I'm placing a lot of hope in that tragacanth gum! :)

I empathise with the "Once I have an episode, it takes one month for me to get to feeling better" Do I ever!! I have just re-realised (yes a slow learner ::)) that the hidden "stuff" in foods really messes me up...even more than I thought??!! ::)Having begun again, the process of detoxing from phenols, salicylates & other "ates" etc ( form tryung to introduce " beneficial" fruits in to my diet...I am beginning to finally feel more myself again & to have some motivation back ::) It's not that anything obvious* makes me crave wrong food, I just don't crave to be "good" when all I do & give up I still get nowhere?! *in the end it is the above mentioned "things" that result in me feeling subtley "drugged" & lacking in enough energy & desire that hold me back!! Here's to research!!!

Back when my sister and I were trying out different flours etc. every day, trying to make compliant bread - one of us trying one thing and the other trying another, we came up with some really strange breads! :D Tasty enough, but, boy, the texture!! Some of them I'm sure you could have used to knock a mule down! I'm sitting here laughing just thinking about it! One thing I learned, a tad of ginger really adds to the flavor. Makes all the difference. I bet your bread made good toast, right?(smile)

Yes, it does make good toast. At least it doesn't seem to be affecting me badly.

That is great, TJ! See, your work is paying off, better than you first thought, anyway!! Nothing is more satisfying that getting a loaf of bread just right. And the smell when it is cooking!! It takes some practice, but I finally got so I could make six or seven loaves in one day that were acceptable. I'm really proud of you that you are able to make this effort toward having something that makes you feel better in more ways than one! (smile)

"Once I have an episode, it takes one month for me to get to feeling better"[/color] Do I ever!! I have just re-realised (yes a slow learner ::)) that the hidden "stuff" in foods really messes me up...even more than I thought??!! ::)

Possum - we are a work in progress are we not?! The hidden stuff is so innocuous but deadly IMHO. ;D

I don't understand how it can be gluten-free if grown on wheat. Crazy! They must have some extremely thorough process for separating the proteins from the rest of it.

TJ - I was at the health food store this evening and took the liberty to closely read the back of Bob's Mill Xanthan Gum and it is written that they use a certain system to check to see if there is any gluten present.C-Sharp may know the name of the system.

So according to them it is gluten-free and I saw no mention of ppm (parts per million), that means no trace amount either.

Well, I still don't want to have any but I am happy for you that you seem to be fine with it.

TJ - I was at the health food store this evening and took the liberty to closely read the back of Bob's Mill Xanthan Gum and it is written that they use a certain system to check to see if there is any gluten present.

Elisa?

Posted by: Dianne, Thursday, February 2, 2012, 6:08pm; Reply: 32

TJ - yes, Elisa. Are you familiar with this?

Posted by: TJ, Friday, February 3, 2012, 12:29am; Reply: 33

It's just a "gluten assay". I don't know much except that it's used to test for the presence of gluten.

Posted by: Spring, Thursday, January 10, 2013, 4:26am; Reply: 34

This thread is interesting, and I think it should be back on the "front page!"

Posted by: ruthiegirl, Thursday, January 10, 2013, 3:10pm; Reply: 35

Most xanthan gum is made from corn. That would make it gluten-free, but still problematic for many of us.

Posted by: meribelle, Thursday, January 10, 2013, 8:48pm; Reply: 36

I really do not like the gummy texture that my breads have with xanthan gum. I tried a loaf with chia gel and it tasted good but did not hold together well. My grandson cannot have gluten or yeast so coming up with a decent bread is hard. I will gladly take any suggestions. Preferably without xanthan gum.

I don't think any gum should be used, the SCD and gaps diet, don't allow, due to the effect the gums have in the gut; try one of the many recipes on this site, or other sites, using ground nut/seed, egg, a little sea or mountain salt, natural fat (ghee, duck or goose fat), some fresh squash/pumpkin or zucchini for some sweetness. I intend to try baking some of this easy bread this weekend. Baking soda may be ok, depends on how healthy you and your gut are, the gaps diet for people with chronic ill health or children with neuro disorders says no to baking soda.

I don't think any gum should be used, the SCD and gaps diet, don't allow, due to the effect the gums have in the gut;

I believe I remember Dr. D saying that gums have the effect of intensifying the negative impact of avoids on our system. I deliberately stay away from them. ;)

Posted by: ruthiegirl, Friday, January 11, 2013, 4:03pm; Reply: 40

The rice bread I bake uses egg, rice flour, olive or coconut oil, salt, agave or molasses, and water. I've made a rice flour pizza crust using a similar recipe, sometimes adding in savory spices. The bread is tasty but crumbly; I haven't yet tried making a sandwich-sized loaf for slicing. I make tiny rolls and eat them whole. The pizza dough is crispy, less flexible than spelt dough, and can also be used to make breadsticks.

Don't be fooled by the "muffins" title. The article goes into great detail about why the author stopped using gums and how to bake gluten-free without them. In her view, muffins, cookies, and quick breads are all at their best when prepared without xanthan gum or guar gum.

Posted by: Spring, Friday, January 11, 2013, 5:35pm; Reply: 42

Brett, this is a fantastic site! I wish I had known about it about a hundred years ago!! Thanks much for posting it! (sunny) Anyone struggling with having some sort of bread to eat needs to grab it and run! Straight to the kitchen - or to the grocery!

Posted by: aussielady582, Monday, January 14, 2013, 4:18am; Reply: 43

Made nice easy g-f bread this morning; ingredients approx., about one and half cups almond meal, good pinch of mineral rich salt, about one cup of steamed pumpkin (butternut squash) (skin removed), about quarter cup ghee, 2 whole eggs, a tablespoon or two of water. Blend well, put into square lined baking pan. Cook at about 160 degrees c (can't remember this in F, maybe 330 degrees F) for about 30 mins. Pls check as different ovens produce different results. Can also add herbs, spices, nuts, different fat ie coconut oil, duck fat. This is ideal for people with starch/carb intolerance and weak pancreases who can't deal with sweeteners, ie O nonnies. The squash/pumpkin adds sweetness and moisture. Eggs and fat keeps it moist.thanks for other ideas above, eg the rice flour possibilities.I would still avoid the gums, esp people with weak intestines and a history of dysbiosis and candida, chronic fatigue, etc.